Nozzle vane support for turbines



Nov. 24, 1959 E. DxSAYRE NOZZLE VANE SUPPORT FOR TURBINES Filed Dec. 22, 1955 INVENTOR. [PM/V fl fiyef United States Patent 9 NOZZLE VANE SUPPORT FOR TURBINES Edwin Douglas'Sayre, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company," a corporation of New York Application December 22, 1955, Serial No. 554,724

Claims. (Cl. 253-78) This invention relates to turbines and, more particularly, to the mounting and securing of stationary turbine or guide vanes.

Due to ever increasing operatingtemperatuers 1n turbines and, particularly, in gas turbines,.one of the problems is to find a satisfactory materialfor use as a nozzle or guide vane. Although materials are available such as ceramics and cermets that'will withstand the temperatures, one of the'major difiiculties with these types of ma terials is their brittle nature and high elastic modulus which prevents them from yielding under applied stresses and impact loads. Furthermore, these characteristics along with other metallurgical characteristics make it extremely diificult to utilize such materials for ordinary assembly by the usual technique of Welding or brazing.

One of the objects of this inventionis to obviate the above difliculties.

Another object of this invention is to provide a satisfactory mounting structure for nozzle or guide vanes which does not require welding and will hold the nozzle or guide vane firmly in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide a satisfactory mounting for turbine guide vanes so that the vanes are not subjected to any binding or vibrational impact which would cause failure.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a mounting for nozzle guide vanes which allows the vane to expand radially and will not transmit any undue stresses to the guide vane due to thermal gradients or warpage of the assembly holding the guide vanes.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one aspect of my invention, I provide a means of mounting turbine guide vanes comprising the usual conventional spaced, substantially concentric supporting rings having slots therein and a corrugated nozzle vane support mounted within the slots to support the end portions of the vanes thereby allowing radial movement of the vanes and preventing any transmission of stresses to the vane by distortion or warpage of the ring members or vanes.

My invention will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a turbine guide vane and rotor assembly; Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the turbine vane supports partly in section; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the vane support showing the end portion of the guide vane therein; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of the vane supporting structure.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a portion of the turbine generally indicated at which may be a conventional gas turbine comprising an outer casing 12 and a rotatable turbine wheel 14 having a plurality of turbine blades 16 attached to its outer periphery. Hot motive fluid from the annular passageway 18 is directed to impinge on the turbine blades 16 by means of a plurality of 2 nozzle guide vanes 20 circumferentially spaced in close relation to the rotating turbine blades 16.

I provide suitable spaced supporting members for the guide vanes 20 which may be better understood by referring to Figures 2 and 3. The supporting members comprise an outer ring22'and an inner ring 24in spaced apart relation, said rings being substantially concentric with one another. The outerv ring 22 and the inner ring 24 are provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 26. The slots 26 have substantially the same contour as the outer contour of the guide vane 20. The slots 26 are greater in size than the contour of the guide vanes 20 for reasons which will become hereinafter apparent. 7

Referring now to Figure 4, I provide a support structure for holding the endportions 28 and 30 of the guide vane 20. The supports comprise an angular flange member 32 having a flange portion 34 and a support portion 36. A corrugated nozzle vane support 38 which ispreferably made from a thin metallic springy material attached to the inner surface 39 of the support portion 36 of the angular fiangemember 32 by any suitable means such as brazing, for example. A plurality of angular flange members 32 having the corrugated nozzle vane supports 38 attached thereto are shaped to conform to the slots 26 in the outer ring 22 and the inner ring24. In order to properly shape the angular flange member 32, it will, of course, benecessar y to cut a number of slits 40 in the flange portion 34 as will be well understood-by those skilled in the art. The slits 40 are provided merely to allow the angular flange member 32 to be properly formed to fit into the slot 26.

After forming the angular flange member 32 to fit the slots 26 they are placed in the slots 26 as shown in Figure 2. The guide vanes 20 are held at their end portions 28 and 30 by the corrugated nozzle vane supports 38 in the outer ring 22 and inner ring 24. The corrugated nozzle vane supports 38 are formed in such a manner that they exert suflicient pressure on the end portions 28 and 30 of the nozzle vane 20 to hold them firmly in place.

An inner retainer ring 42 and an outer retainer ring 44 are placed about the inner periphery of the inner ring 24 and the outer periphery of the outer ring 22 respectively in order to prevent the angular flange members 32 from becoming dislodged from the inner ring 24 or the outer ring 22. The retainer rings 42 and 44 are designed so that a clearance space 46 and 48 is provided at each end of the guide vanes 20. This allows for radial movement of the guide vanes 20 due to thermal gradients, warpage or for any other reason.

Thus, with my structure, the guide vanes 20 are supported in such a manner that they may move radially in either direction. The corrugated nozzle vane supports 38 holding the guide vanes 20 in place are springy in nature as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art so that the vanes are firmly held but yet there are no vibrational or other impact forces transmitted to the guide vanes 20 through the outer ring 22 or inner ring 24. Furthermore, no undue stresses are set up in the guide vanes 20 by virtue of warpage or unequal expansion in the turbine area.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A supporting structure for nozzle guide vanes for turbines or the like comprising: spaced supporting members, said supporting members having slots therein; a plurality of nozzle guide vanes having their end portions mounted for radial movement in the central portion of the slots; and a corrugated metallic nozzle vane support mounted between the endportion of the nozzle guide vanes and the slots.

2. A nozzle structure for a turbine or the like comprising: a pair of spaced supporting members including an inner ring and an outer ring, said ring members provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots, the slots on the inner and outer ring members being in substantial radial alignment; a plurality of angular flange members having their support portions protruding through said slots; a corrugated nozzle vane support afiixed to the inner surfaces of said support portions; a plurality of nozzle guide vanes supported at their end portions by said corrugated nozzle vane supports, said nozzle guide vanes being mounted to permit radial move ment and being restrained by an inner andouter retaining ring mounted coaxially and adjacent to said supporting members.

3. A nozzle guide vane support comprising; spaced inner and outer rings, said rings provided with slots; a corrugated metallic nozzle vane support in each of said slots, said supports holding a nozzle guide vane to permit radial movement of said nozzle guide vane.

4. A supporting structure for nozzle guide vanes comprising: a pair of substantially concentric annular supporting members, said members having a plurality of slots therein, said slots being in substantial radial alignment between the said members; a corrugated metallic nozzle vane support mounted about the inner periphery of each slot; a plurality of nozzle guide vanes mounted radially between the support members, said nozzle vanes having their end portions supported by the corrugated nozzle vane supports to allow radial movement of the nozzle vanes.

5. Means for securing the end portion of a nozzle guide vane comprising: an angular flange member having a flange portion and a support portion; a corrugated metallic nozzle vane support attached to the inner surface of the support portion of said angular flange memher, said angular flange member and corrugated nozzle vane support having substantially the same shape as the end portion of the nozzle guide vane whereby said end portion is held by said corrugated nozzle vane support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 952,317 Eyermann Mar. 15, 1910 2,402,418 Kroon June 18, 1946 2,497,041 BodgerQ. Feb. 7, 1950 2,510,606 Price L. June 6, 1950 2,595,829 Dean May 6, 1952 2,625,013 Howard et al Jan. 13, 1953 2,643,853 Redding June 30, 1953 2,669,383 Purvis et al Feb. 16, 1954 2,683,018 Schorner July 6, 1954 2,836,392 Spaeth May 27, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 243,027 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1925 572,853 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1945 660,383 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1951 722,341 Great Britain Jan. 26, 1955 723,505 Great Britain Feb. 9, 1955 830,853 Germany Feb. 7, 1952 

